The Social Simulation of the Public Perception of Weather - Article Example

Moreover, the researcher does not have the ability to control individuals who are exposed to the event since there is a use of targeted sampling. The dependent variable also is relying on no control of the archival data. On the same note, retrospective measures facilitated the testing of the hypothesis for the study.
In terms of sub-type design, the study utilizes two groups where there is a random selection with a pre-test and post-test. As such, the differences, which appear in the post-test, indicate the results of the experimental variable instead of common differences, which exist at the start of the experiment. Such ensures that there is a good internal validity with room for external validity, which has the limitation of the possible outcomes of the pre-testing.

Independent variables in the article include temperature, storms, precipitation, drought, coastal flooding and inland flooding. These act as direct weather impacts, both mediated and unmediated. The other variables are mortalities, morbidity, disruption of daily routines, property loss or damage, personal wealth, natural capital, social capital and income. These variables tend to influence the perceptions that the public develops with regard to climate. As such, the article considers all these variables for a period of 30 years and investigates how they influence the outcome of climate and weather changes in a given location. However, the researcher does not have direct control over how the independent variables occur.

In the article, the dependent variables are climate change, global warming and public expressions. Climate change is a variable, which is dependent on the 30 year average of weather changes. These weather changes include rain, sunshine, drought, cold, warmth, fog and cloudiness among others. As such, measuring these weather changes for a period of 30 years and have an average of the same aids in getting the climatic condition of a place. A controlled environment implies a limitation on weather patterns, but there are chances that external weather conditions will change, which indicate that people have a chance of experiencing traumatic weather events, which include hurricanes, tornadoes and floods. Global warming is the dependent variable on abnormal weather changes, which results in the alteration of the natural climate of a given zone. The last dependent variable is the public expressions. Thus, individuals use indicators, such as income, capital, wealth, property and normality of events to develop perceptions of climate and weather changes of a given region.

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